water trail

noun

plural water trails

: a route on a waterway

In the story, Deering leads his outlaws through the water trail, men and horses swimming the river until they reach the entrance of the cave.

—Omaha Daily Bee

especially : one designated for recreational use especially with nonmotorized watercraft (such as canoes and kayaks) and often for environmental protection : blueway

The water trail follows the New York State Canal System across the full expanse of upstate New York, offering visitors a wealth of places to visit and sights to see.

—Register-Star (Hudson, New York)

—often used in the names of specific routes

the 192 mile Arkansas River Water Trail in Kansas

Examples of water trail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is a famous marked water trail called the Wilderness Waterway, which stretches about 100 miles across the vast park and connects Everglades City to Florida Bay. —USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023

The new boat launch joins a list of about 15 other access points along the water trail from Saratoga Springs to North Salt Lake, and is one of the main amenities of the new park just east of the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and north of 3300 South. —Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 July 2023

At 158 miles and with over 70 access points, the water trail offers paddlers the opportunity to explore various Midwest communities and landscapes along the Fox River. —David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2023

The water trail involves the Fox River from the headwaters in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, to the southern border of Kendall County, officials said. —David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2023

Wisconsin and Illinois Enter the 158-mile Fabulous Fox water trail along the Fox River in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois at any of the roughly 70 access points. —Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 6 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above